Coin-operated device



June 3, 1958 R. J. BALLMAN 2,837,195

COIN-OPERATED DEVICE Filed NOV. 30, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmvron. ROBERT J. BALLMAN I Aiys.

June 1958 R. J. BALLMAN 2,837,195

COIN-OPERATED DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 1954 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

:E i g. ROBERT J. BALLMAN June 3, 1958 R. J. BALLMAN 2,837,195

COIN-OPERATED DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 1954 I s Sheets-Sheet :5

mmvron. -/?0BERT J. BALLMAN yr 2 7? Azfgs.

ijnitcd States Pat n COIN OPERATED DEVICE Robert J. Ballman, Springfield Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, assignor to The Herschede Hall Clock Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 30, 1954, Serial No. 472,012

Claims. (Cl. 194-72) This invention relates to coin-operated devices. More particularly, this invention relates to mechanism for the coin slot of a coin-operated device such as a parking meter or the like of the type illustrated in the co-pending application of Robert J. Ballman and William N. Woodruff, Serial No. 423,934 filed April 19, 1 954.

I In certain coin-operated devices such as parking meters and the like, the coin slot mechanism includes a gate which is operated by a coin'as the coin is inserted into the coin slot. The coin travels from the gate to a coin stop which holds the coin until a trigger member is brought against the coin.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of this type in which means are provided for holding the trigger member away from the path followed by the coin untilthe coin has reached the coin stop.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking or latching mechanism for a coin-operated device of this type which locks the trigger in a position remote from the coin stop so long as the gate is open.

A further object of this invention is to provide a latching device of this type which holds the trigger away from the coin stop while the gate is open and which is released by the gate as the gate closes to release the trigger, so that, when the coin has reached the coin stop,

the trigger is released to engage the coin and actuate the coin-operated mechanism. 7

A further object of this invention'is to provide a device of this type in which the gate drives the coin toward the coin stop while the trigger is held away from the coin stop by the latching mechanism.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in part be apparent and will in part be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description, and the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing a coinoperated parking meter constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, part of thecasing of the meter being broken away to reveal interior construction; I

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism of the parking meter illustrated in Fig. 1, the mechanism being removed from the casing, the index hands and one of the index dials of the meter being removed to reveal details of construction; Y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the mechanism, the mechanism being shown in cocked position as a coin is inserted into the coin slot thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation, the mechanism being shown in the position in which the trigger is advanced into engagement with the coin after the coin has advanced to the coin stop at the start of an operating cycle of the meter; h

Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryvieW-in rear elevation of the mechanism;

2,837,195 Patented June 3, 1958 Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line VI-VI in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in section taken on the line VII-VII in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the mechanism with a coin partly inserted into the coin slot;

and 1 Fig. 9 is a view in section taken substantially on the line IX-IX in Fig. 4, parts of a trigger member and stop operating mechanism being removed for clarity.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

As shown in Fig. l, the parking meter includes a housing 21!) mounted on a post 211. The lower portion of the housing is provided with a door 212 which can be opened for removal of. the coin box (not shown). The upper portion of the housing includes a window 213-, only a portion of which is shown, through which a dial 214 and an index hand 216 can be observed. The index hand is secured to a lever 21? which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 218. When a coinis inserted through a coin 221 and swings it from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 to the position in dot-dash lines. The gate is pivotal-1y supported on a pin 223 carried by a saddle bell crank 224. As the coin moves into the coin slot 219, saddle bell crank 224 is swung upwardlyto the position shown in Figs. 3 and 8. As crank 224 swings upwardly, it engages and raises a second saddle bell crank 226, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The upper end of the gate is restrained by a pin 226a (Figs. 6 and 7). Pin 226a extends through the gate and into openings 226k in side wall members 2260 and 226d (see Fig. 6) of a coin passageway 226a. The pin 226a engages the sides of the openings and causes the gate to swing from the 7 position shown in full lines to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 7, as the coin is inserted through the coin slot 219. When the coin has passed the gate the coin is propelled along the coin passageway 226e, as will be explained more fully hereafter.

Crank 226 carries a drive pin 227 (Figs. 3 and 4). The pin 227 projects through a slot 228 in a drive link 229. When the coin is inserted into the coin slot and crank 226 is raised from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. '3, the pin 227 slides along the slot 228 to the position shown in Fig. 3. When the pin 227 is in this position, a power pawl 23!, mounted thereon, is brought into engagement with a stop memher 232 carried by the drive link 229. At the same time, a drive spring 233 attached thereto, is stressed in tension. The drive spring urges the pin 227 downwardly and to the left, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 to cause a drive segment 234 to swing in a counter-clockwise direction upon the pivot 236. The segment 234 is linked by a link 235 to a drive pawl arm 236 (Fig. 4). Swinging of thesegment 234 drives the mechanism of the parking meter causing drive pawl arm 236 and drive pawl 237 (Fig. 2) thereon to swing in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 2, to engage-ratchet 238. The ratchet 238, in turn, 'is' mounted on the shaft 218, and swinging of the ratchet causes the shaft 218v and the index hand 216 (see Fig. 1) to swing in a clockwise direction to add time to that shown on the meter.

Swinging of the segment 234 in both directions is restrained by an escapement wheel 241 and an escapement piece 241 (Fig. 4). A governor locking lever 242 is engageable with the governor wheel 241 to lock the governor wheel. The governor wheel is connected to segment 234 by appropriate gearing 242 so that when the governor locking lever 242 is withdrawn from the governor wheel 241, the segment can swing. The governor locking lever 242 is released by operation of a trigger member 243. The governor locking lever is connected by a link 244a (Figs. 4 and 5) to a lever 2441) (Fig. 5). Lever 24-41) includes a lug 244a which is engageable by lug 244d at the upper end of the trigger member 243, so that, when the trigger member is swung counterclockwise, about its pivot 244e, as shown in Fig. 5, the governor locking lever is drawn to the left and releases the governor wheel 241.

When the saddle bell crank 22%- is in the raised position shown in Fig. 8, the lever 24412 is locked against'swinging in governor releasing direction by a shoulder 244 on the saddle bell crank 224. Shoulder 244f engages the lug 244a when the crank 224 is raised. However, when the crank 224 is in the lowered position shown in Fig. 5, a notch 244g in the crank 224 is opposite lug 244a, and the governor can be released.

The trigger member 243 is pivotally mounted adjacent the coin passageway 226a on a trigger-carrying lever 252. The trigger member 243 carries, at its lower end, a slotted member 243 (see Fig. 4) which engages a head portion 243 of a triggering finger 244. The triggering finger 24 i is mounted in the coin passageway, as shown in Fig. 9, adjacent a coin stop 246. When a coin is on the coin stop 246, the triggering finger can engage the coin, as shown in Fig. 4, causing the trigger to swing on its pivot 244a in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 4, and re ease the governor locking lever.

When the coin 222 (see Fig. 7) is inserted into the coin slot, the coin passes from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dot-dash lines. When in that position, the coin is between the gate 221 and a coin roller 249. As the coin passes the roller 249, the gate 221 closes behind it. The gate 221 is driven to closed position by a spring 253. (see Fig. 5). The spring 251 is attached to saddle bell crank 224 and drives it downwardly closing the gate. As the gate closes it drives the coin down the coin passageway to the coin triggering position shown in Fig. 4, at which the coin rests on coin stop 246 (Fig. 9) and is in position to be engaged by triggering finger 244.

While the saddle bell crank 224 and the gate 221 are in raised position, the trigger member 243 is held back and away from coin-engaging position, as shown in Fig. 3. The trigger-carrying lever 252 is pivotally mounted on a pivot 253, and connected by a link 25% to a trackcarrying iever 259. A tension spring 261 urges the trigger-carrying lever 252 and the track-carrying lever 259 to the right, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A head portion 26d of the trigger-carrying lever is engageable by a roller Zll. The roller 261) is mounted on saddle bell crank 224 so that, when the gate 221 is opened and the saddle bell crank 224 is swung to the raised position shown in Fig. 3, the roller 26h drives the trigger carrier to the left to the position shown in Fig. 4. in that position, the trigger member 24-3 is held out of coin-engaging position.

When the trigger carrier has been swung back to the position shown in Fig. 3, a latch lever 26'? engages a pin 268. The pin 268 is mounted on the trigger member 243. Pin 268 holds the trigger member and the triggercarrying lever in the position shown in Fig. 3 until the latch lever 2d? is released. The latch lever 267 is pivotally mounted on one wall of the coin passageway and is urged to the latching position shown in Fig. 3 by means of a tension spring 268. The left hand end of the latch all) lever 267 is notched, as indicated at 269, and the notched end of the latch lever engages the pin 268 to hold the trigger-carrying lever 252 and trigger member 243 in retracted position.

When the coin has been inserted past the coin roller 249 (see Fig. 7), and as the coin is driven downwardly by the gate 221, the latch lever 267 holds the trigger carrier out of coin triggering position, thereby keeping the coin passageway open so that the coin can travel directly to the coin stop. Then, as the saddle bell crank approaches fully closed position of the gate, a lug 26? on the saddle bell crank 224 engages an arm 271 of the latch lever 267 and swings the latch lever clockwise, as shown in Fig. 3, to release the trigger member 243 and the trigger carrying lever 252. The spring 261 then rives the trigger carrier to the right from the position shown in Fig. 3, until the triggering finger 244 is brought into engagement with the coin (see Fig. 4). Thereupon, the trigger pivots on its pivot 233e and the lug 244d (Fig. 5), at the upper end of the trigger member 243, engages the lug 2440 of lever 24% to swing lever 244i: clockwise and draw the governor locking lever 242 away from the governor wheel 241 to release the governor and permit the time-registering mechanism of the meter to operate. through one cycle.

The device illustrated in the drawings and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Further details of the parking time registering mechanism are illustrated and described in detail in United States Letters Patent to William B. Woodruff, issued June 8, 1954, No. 2,680,506.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A coin-operated devicewhich comprises a member having a coin slot and a coin passageway for receiving a coin from the slot, a gate in said slot actuatable by a coin as the coin is inserted into the slot, a coin stop in said passageway below the gate for holding the coin at a predetermined position in the passageway a trigger actuatable by the coin, a trigger carrier supporting the trigger and mounted to swing with the trigger between an advanced position in which the trigger is engageable with the coin on said stop and a retracted position, means connected to the gate for actuating the trigger carrier from advanced position to retracted position when a coin is in the slot, a latch, means for connecting said latch to the trigger carrier to hold the trigger carrier in retracted position, means for urging the gate to closed position, the gate being adapted to drive the coin toward the stop when the gate closes, means connected to the for engaging the latch to release the latch when the gate is closed to release the trigger carrier, and means for urging the trigger carrier to trigger advanced position .to bring the trigger into engagement with the coin, whereby the trigger is actuated thereby.

2. A coin-operated device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the latch is pivotally mounted, that the gate is mounted on a-crank, that the crank swings with the gate when the gate is actuated by a coin, and that the means for engaging the latch to release the latch is a lug mounted on the crank and engageable with an arm of the latch to swing the latch to trigger r leased position when the gate is closed.

3. A coin-operated device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the latch is pivotally mounted, that the gate is mounted on a crank, that the crank swings with the gate when the gate is actuated by the coin, that the crank includes a lock portion which locks the trigger when the crank is in gate open position to disable the trigger, and that the means for engaging the latch to release the latch is a lug mounted on the crank and engageable with an arm of the latch to swing the latch to trigger released position when the gate is closed.

4. A coin-operated device which comprises a member having a coin slot and a coin passageway for receiving a coin from the slot, a gate in said coin slot actuatable to a raised position by the coin inserted into the coin slot, a coin stop in said passageway below the gate for holding the coin at a predetermined triggering position, means for urging the gate closed when the coin has been inserted through the coin slot, the gate, as it closes, engaging the coin to drive the coin toward the stop, a trigger adapted to be actuated by the coin when the coin is on the stop, means connecting the gate to the trigger and arranged to retract the trigger from coin-engaging position when the gate is opened by the coin, a latch for engaging and holding the trigger in retracted position while the gate is open, means connected to the gate for releasing the latch when'the gate closes, and means for advancing the trigger to coin-engaging position when the latch is released, whereby the trigger is actuated by the coin.

5. A coin-operated device in accordance with claim 4 characterized by the fact that the means for connecting the gate to the trigger comprises a crank on which the gate is mounted, that the crank swings with the gate when the gate is actuated by the coin, and that the crank includes a lock portion which locks the trigger when the.

crank is in open position, to disable the trigger when the gate is open.

No references cited.- 

